With Me Now
by annapotter376
Summary: After the events of Harry's fifth year he is a mutated form of his prior self. Until Ginny comes along.... ONE-SHOT


With me now  
  
She isn't at all like Lavender and Pavarti. She hates divination just as much as he does and she isn't a "silly, giggly" girl. She's not really like Hermione either. Sure, she's smart but she isn't bossy and crazed about good grades. Isn't that what has made her always stick out? Well, that was what should have made her stick out.  
  
But it didn't.  
  
Is that his fault?  
  
He basically has the world resting on his shoulders and he feels so tired and weak from it. Weight is never being taken off, there is only more weight being added. He's angry, and that's ok.  
  
He is so angry that he can barely think. He wants to scream, but again, he is too tired to do so. He walks around as if he is from the living dead, and in his mind he thinks he is as good as the living dead.  
  
There is no release.  
  
Ron and Hermione. When he came back from Hell on Earth, also known as privet Drive, and went to Hogwarts, (he didn't go back to Grimmauld Place for safety reasons, and because it was not being used as headquarters, for no one knew what Kreacher had divulged), they were an "item." They were a blushing, stammering, giggling item. And Harry didn't seem to really care. For a moment, and only a slight moment, he was happy for them, but it wasn't a true and pure happiness.  
  
Bloody Occlumency. Dumbledore absolutely insisted that he take it again, and this time he was a bit more willing, but only a bit.  
  
So many memories. From that fateful day in Hogsmeade when he had learned a bit about the truths of Sirius Black to the awful day he slipped between his fingers like sand and went beyond the veil. There were so many of them. They were always there and they wouldn't get out. Sometimes his inner self would writhe in pain. He didn't know what to do.  
  
At privet Drive the Dursleys said naught but twenty words to him. The Underage Magical Restriction was void concerning Harry, for obvious reasons. This made life slightly easier. He just went about his business writing letters to friends and doing homework.  
  
There was a new Harry. This one wasn't happy. This one's eyes were still emerald but they weren't vivid or alive. This one's eyes were hollow and burnt. They used to have fire in them, but now the fire was smoldering.  
  
And who, you may ask, notices all of these things and can read him like an open book?  
  
None other that Ginvera Molly Weasley.  
  
He is currently sitting at the Gryffindor table laughing weakly, and not at all whole heartedly, at Ron's bright red face, seeing as Dean Thomas just made fun of his and Hermione's relationship.  
  
He looks up and his eyes look for something, rather someone. He finds what he is looking for, a red- headed beauty laughing with her friends. And as if she knows, as if she can feel his eyes scrutinizing her, she looks up and his eyes connect with his. There is an intense connection for a fleeting moment and then she breaks it off and smiles at him.  
  
This makes his day. This smile has no pity, or sympathy. It is a true smile. A "nice to see ya" smile. But if you look closely at it there is also so much compassion in there.  
  
He leaves. He has to get out of there. It is too much for him to take. He strides out purposefully, half hoping she'll follow in his wake.  
  
She does. She knows. She knows like no other.  
  
He hears her delicate footsteps. They are so light it is almost like she is gliding, floating.  
  
He spins around and pushes her against the wall. He looks into her eyes. He expects fear. It isn't there. There is hope and trust in those eyes, and he takes advantage of it.  
  
He leans in and his lips touch hers. He feels, and he hasn't felt in so long. She brings her arms around his neck and plays with his scruffy, yet beautiful black hair. He is kissing her more desperately. Now and she is welcoming it. She is taking all of it. The pain, the anguish, guilt and above all the uncertainty.  
  
She ends it. She lets a moment filled with anticipation pass, and then plants a small chaste kiss upon his lips. And as she walks away she touches her fingers to her lips. Little does she know is that he is doing the exact same thing.  
  
And then he's changed; he's back. He can feel again, He can laugh again. He can fly again. And it feels so good and so free.  
  
He hasn't kissed her since and he needs to. It burns within him. The desire to kiss her again overwhelms him and he wishes that he can find an excuse, any excuse, to kiss her again.  
  
Hermione and Ron have not asked why the sudden change. (Ron, probably on Hermione's orders.) They are worried that if they are candid with him he will relapse into the empty state he was in.  
  
He saw Ginny whenever he was going to Charms, coming from Care of Magical Creatures. She was always going to the greenhouses for Herbology. She would wink or smile. He wouldn't really know what to do. Once he got the courage to wave. This cause Ginny to run up to him and give him a loving hug. Everyone was surprised. She ran off in a flurry of red hair and laughter, but not before she whispered, "tell me when."  
  
What did that mean?  
  
And finally Harry took matters into his own hands and left Ginny a note.  
  
G-  
  
Meet me after dinner in the room of requirement.  
  
H  
  
And she did.  
  
She came sweeping in and didn't wait for him to speak.  
  
"You know I was really surprised when you didn't start Dumbledore's Army again this year, Harry." She said this before he had time to open his mouth.  
  
She sat down next to him on the couch, with no obvious sense of doubt or hesitation, as she took in her surroundings seeing what the magical room had come to look like this time.  
  
"I couldn't. It would be too hard," he said a bit taken aback.  
  
"Because of Sirius?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess."  
  
"Don't guess." Ginny said this she looked directly into his eyes with honesty and care and without any trepidation. She wanted to know, she didn't seem to have the same look in her eyes that the others did. The look of 'oh, that poor boy.'  
  
"Ginny, there is so much. There's not just Sirius. There's...." Was he going to tell her?  
  
He looked at her. Hard. And then, God only knows why, he knew that if he were to tell anyone, she would be the best choice.  
  
"There's this... uh... this prophecy.'  
  
"The one that Lucius Malfoy wanted at the Department of Mysteries?"  
  
"Yeah. Dumbledore told me what it said."  
  
'Harry if you're not ready... I'm in no rush." This closed the deal for him. She was the only person who didn't want to push him. She didn't have to know, but he wanted her to know.  
  
"No... I'll never be ready. But I have to tell you." There was a sense of urgency bubbling up from within him as he began to take the plunge.  
  
"Ginny, you and I both know there's probably going to be this one big battle-'  
  
"It's going to be like the final Day of Judgment, but it's not going to be tomorrow-"This scared Harry when she said this. She seemed to think that she knew it wasn't going to happen tomorrow... ignorance is bliss. He had to warn her, tell her what could, no would happen.  
  
"How the hell do you know that? For all we know there is could be NO tomorrow! You can't always be a silly little girl, Ginny. And you know what? I'm going to die. This could be my last bloody day on Earth!"  
  
"What do you mean you're going to die?"  
  
"Either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives! That's it that's the god-awful prophecy! I'm going to be murdered or become a murderer! What if it happens tomorrow? I'm not ready! I won't survive! And if I do have to fight tommorrow how many am I going to take with me?"  
  
"Harry, you aren't going to have to fight all by yourself. This won't have to be your fight alone."  
  
"Don't you get it? Don't you bloody understand? And here I was thinking you had all the answers! But you are just some little girl!"  
  
In one swift movement Ginny got up from the couch and slapped Harry clear across the face.  
  
"Harry James Potter! I have had enough! I have let you have you're little rant and now hear me. You are not bloody alone! You have the whole Order, Harry. They'll die for you, not because of you! They'll do anything in their power to help you. Ron and Hermione will do anything. Hell, Harry, I'll do anything." She began to calm down now. She pushed Harry down on the couch some while ago but now she kneeled in front of him and said in a low voice. "I'll do anything. I won't let you be alone. We all need you too much."  
  
This wasn't enough. "What can the Order do? What can Dumbledore do? What can Ron and Hermione do? What can you do?" This time he wasn't angry. He was scared, Ginny realized. He was unsure.  
  
Ginny wrapped her slender arms around him and said, "I have no idea. I may be naïve, Harry, and I may be silly-"  
  
"Ginny, I didn't-"  
  
"No, listen. All I want is for it to disappear, for you to be normal. I want your biggest fear to be what you'll get on your next Transfiguration test, or how many points Snape will dock for absolutely no reason. I want you to be an ordinary, happy wizard."  
  
"Ginny that's what I want too, almost as I want him dead. But it won't go way, it constantly follows me! It's like every time I turn around there it is lurking. My destiny. I can't escape."  
  
"I don't know what to say."  
  
Ginny looked at him with sadness because he was so lost. He didn't respond. He had to think.  
  
"I'll leave you alone."  
  
"No." he grabbed her arm and held her back. "Please, don't leave me."  
  
"Harry, all you have to do is ask and I'll-"  
  
Harry took her in his arms and kissed her. His kiss was gentle and tender. He kissed her as if trying to savor every moment. She appropriately tasted like cinnamon. Her lips were so soft and... perfect. He then began to kiss her more fiercely. He was trying to show her how he felt and at the same time wasn't even sure how he felt.  
  
He then abruptly stopped. He couldn't do this to her. But her felt as if he wouldn't be able to ever breathe again if he couldn't hold her, kiss her, love her.  
  
He slumped down the side of the couch and did something he hadn't done in such a long time. He cried. Hot white angry tears began to fall down. Ginny came and wrapped her arms around him, showing him that she would always be there.  
  
"Ginny, I want this so badly, but I know I'll just end up hurting you. I can be such a prat. And to make it worse I think I'm in love with you." He went limp in her arms.  
  
And Ginny did the oddest thing. She let out a deep, rich laugh. "Harry Potter, I think you should know by now that after that dear confession I'm never letting you go." She took his face between her hands and softly touched his scar.  
  
She put a tiny kiss on his forehead and said so softly, "I think you're stuck with me now."  
  
And the weight of the world seemed to be just a little less heavy. 


End file.
